Empirical formula for (n, f) reaction cross sections of Uranium isotopes at 1-20 MeV neutrons

Abstract

This article describes how to calculate neutron-induced fission reaction cross sections using a proposed empirical formula and the EMPIRE 3.2.3 and TALYS 1.95 computer codes for Uranium isotopes up to the third fission plateau. In this study, the excitation functions of ²³²U (n, f), ²³³U (n, f), ²³⁴U (n, f), ²³⁵U (n, f), ²³⁶U (n, f), ²³⁷U (n, f) and ²³⁸U (n, f) nuclear reactions were calculated at 1-20 MeV neutron energies. The results were contrasted to measured values from the Experimental Nuclear Reaction Data (EXFOR) as well as the evaluated data from Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF) such as (EAF-2010, JEFF-3.3, ENDF/B-VIII.0 and TENDL-2019). Overall, the calculated, experimental, and evaluated fission cross-sections are in concordance.

Keywords: (n, f) reactions; Cross-sections; EMPIRE 3.2.3; Empirical formula; TALYS 1.95.